What is WordPress?

If you are a writer or blogger (or you read web-design related articles), then you must have come across the word “WordPress,” at one time or the other. If you are like me, then you must be curious as regards what it’s all about. Well, WordPress is simply an online tool for website creation in PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) and it’s basically one of the most effective content managing systems for blogs and websites. In non-geek terms, it is a tool for creating and managing websites.

WordPress has the capability to create all sorts of websites, be it blogs, business websites or even fully functioning online stores. At this point you may begin to think; “this sounds like the stuff of coding gurus and I have no experience with design or coding.” Well, the good news is; you actually DON’T need any experience with web design or coding, to use WordPress (although it’s an added advantage if you do). With the help of thousands of already existing site designs (also known as themes), on WordPress, you can easily select one that suits your desire and taste, and kick-start your website with a professional and elegant look.

How Do I Get WordPress?

The coolest feature showcased by WordPress is the fact that it is completely free! That’s right, you don’t have to pay a dime to run the software and this is not a bait to some hidden software charges that you will eventually have to pay on the long-run (unlike some other “free” website software). WordPress is also completely free to modify and to use, so if you’re the type that loves to play around with codes, you can modify the software and make it do basically anything you want.

As opposed to some other desktop software, there is no need to install the software on your computer system, because it runs in the cloud (online), so you can perform updates on your website from basically anywhere and with any device (even your smartphone), so long as you have access to the internet.

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

When it comes to web hosting (the platform that accommodates your website), you have two options with WordPress. If you want WordPress to host your website, then you can go to www.wordpress.com where you can create your website for free (but you’ll pay a small fee if you want your own domain name). However, if your website is self-hosted, but you still want to employ the services of the WordPress tool, then your destination is www.wordpress.org